The Bad Dreams of a Nightmare
by Alex Redstone
Summary: Takes place after "Woman in Limbo". "What do you want me to say, Booth? I am not having nightmares, these are bad dreams. This is the nightmare, reality, Booth!" Please R
1. Chapter 1

_She was in the bathroom looking in the mirror when her reflection began to change. The mirror darkened and all of a sudden she was staring at McVickor. Without warning he jumped out of the mirror at her with a tire iron. Just as he brought it down to her head_ …Brennan woke up in a cold sweat, her own scream still ringing in her ears. _Relax, Temperance it was just a dream_. She took a few ragged breaths to calm her nerves. She rolled over to look at the clock. _2 am, great_. Getting out of bed, she headed into her kitchen to make a cup of coffee; there would be no more sleep for her tonight.

Brennan walked into the Jeffersonian lab at 4:45 am on the dot and as she expected, there was no one there. The emptiness didn't bother her; in fact, she found it kind of soothing. She dropped her purse in her office and grabbed her lab coat as she headed to Limbo. _At least I can give these people an identity, _she laughed at the irony of the situation. Here she was, figuring out who these people were that have been dead hundreds of years, and she can't even figure out her name.

As soon as she walked into Limbo, Brennan realized that she had made a HUGE mistake. The place that was supposed to bring her some solace was only making her feel even worse. The last person she had identified there, was Christine Brenn – _Keenan, _she corrected herself. Speaking out loud, to herself and to the empty room, "I am not sure anymore." And with that, she closed the door and walked back to her office, at least she could work on her book.

Brennan had been working on her computer for about 2 hours, but had made almost no progress. The quite from the lab, at first very comforting, was now beginning to consume her, _was this all she is? A scientist in a lab doing research? Just like hundreds of other people? Alone?_ A voice pulled her out of her thought, and she continued to stare at the screen. Maybe, if she looked busy he would just go away, she didn't have the energy to try to hide this from him right now.

"Hey, Bones!" Booth said from her door way. When she didn't respond, he continued.

"You're here early."

"Yeah, well, so are you. We have a case" Booth replied with his boundless, excited energy.

She sighed, "Okay Booth, I just have to save this chapter, and I will meet you at the car. Can you let Cam know that we are leaving?" She still hadn't turned around.

"Um…okay Bones. Meet you at the car in a few" He responded, feeling something was off. _We have a fairly long drive ahead of us, plenty of time to talk to her and figure out what was going on_, he thought to himself as he walked off to find Cam.

***

Booth had already been sitting in the car for 5 minutes when Brennan finally walked through the doors. He watched her as she walked to the car. She was walking hurriedly, eyes to the ground – only glancing up briefly to locate Booth's SUV. She could feel his worried gaze on her. _Great_, she thought_, I have been with him not even 5 minutes this morning and he can already tell that there is something wrong. _

Brennan took a deep breath and attempted to school her features in a convincing way before opening the door. "You ready, Bones?" Booth asked, full charm smile in effect.

"Yep," She responded in her brightest voice, still avoiding eye-contact. _Ugh, that voice didn't even convince me._ "What have we got?"

"They didn't give me much info. Just that some girl who was kidnapped was found dead in Norfolk, Virginia".

After they had been driving for about 30 minutes, she fell asleep against the window. When Booth, who had been giving her sideways glances the entire trip, noticed he turned the radio down so it wouldn't wake her. _She looks exhausted_, he thought to himself.

About an hour later Brennan became restless. She was thrashing around and began to mumble incoherently. "Stop!...please, don't!...killed….no, no! MOM!"

Booth was trying to wake her, worry-lines creasing his face. "Bones!...Bones!...TEMPERANCE!"

At the sound of her name she awoke with a start, "Booth?!"

"Whoa whoa, easy, Bones, it is okay, it was only a dream" he tried to sooth her. She remained quiet. "You okay?"

"Of course, Booth," She snapped, but did not meet his eyes, "It would be completely irrational to fear a "vision" caused by random firings of neurons in the brain."

"Right, Bones."

After a few minutes of silence Booth commented, "You know, Bones, it is okay to be scared of things you see, even if they are just caused by the random firing of morons in the brain."

"Neurons, Booth," She smiled to herself at his mistake.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Just know that it is okay. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked caringly.

"No" She said simply, still staring out the window. "How long until we get there?"

"About two more hours, you can go back to sleep." _Right, _she thought to herself sarcastically.

She could feel him watching her as she started out the window trying very hard not to cry. She was so tired, and if she had to admit it, the unrelenting nightmares since she first found her mother's remains were really starting to get to her. After a few minutes she felt Booths hand slip into hers. She held on tightly.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** **I am sorry about all the typos in the first chapter. I was very busy with classes and didn't have time to properly edit it. I hope they didn't take from it too much. This is my first Bones fanfic, so any constructive criticism (especially about being in character) would be greatly appreciated.**

Brennan hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she felt Booth gently shaking her leg. "Bones...wake up, Bones..."

"hmmm?" she responded sleepily.

He smiled to himself, _She is so cute when she first wakes up, _he thought to himself. "Bones," he spoke a bit louder to rouse her, "we are here, and, um, I kind of need my hand back to turn off the car, and you need to do your squinty thing."

She looked up to Booth with a slightly confused expression on her face. _What the hell is he talking – oh shit!"_ she though as she realized her left hand was still tightly holding his right one. Brennan let go quickly looking looking and feeling very embarrassed.

Booth flashed her his charm smile, and began to get out of the car. "Let's go get your bone thing done and the remains sent back to the Jeffersonian. I want to get back to DC tonight, I hate motels" he shuddered.

Brennan let out a small laugh at this. A few months before, they were on a case in West Virginia and forced to stay the night in an awful motel. Booth had begun banging on her door around 3am frantically talking about the "hoard of cockroaches" taking over his room. She went over to check, and found only three. Still, he had insisted on staying in her room in the chair. _Not that I minded sharing a room with Seeley Booth_.

Brennan got out of the SUV and went around to the trunk to get on her "squint gear" as Booth called it. As she was putting on her last glove, she felt Booth walk up behind her. "I am almost done getting ready, Booth. I am confident that we can get this scene processed with sufficient time to return to DC tonight."

"Oh, right, great, Bones." He paused for a moment, but did not move away. Brennan felt his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around to face him. He waited until her eyes met his own and asked "Sure you are okay?"

She dropped her eyes, "Of course, Booth. As I said it would be ill-"

"I know, I know, morons and all," Booth cut off her speech.

"Neurons, Booth!" She sighed exasperatedly, as she began walking to the police line. Mirroring her sigh, Booth followed her down to the crime scene.

An officer Pierce, met them at the tape. Booth flashed his badge and the young officer let the partners through and began giving them the run-down of the case. Bones bee-lined for the remains, while Booth stayed and listened to Pierce.

"Two boys," Pierce pointed to two teenagers talking to another officer, "found the body about 5 this morning. Apparently they were getting some early morning paint-ball in before school. They say they usually play back here about 3 times a week, and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary lately. One of the boys, Micheal, went to hide behind that bush," he indicated the bush where doctor Brennan was looking over the body, "and had quite a scare." Pierce looked proud of himself.

"This your first real case?" Booth asked with a smile.

"Yes, sir!" He responded sounding both excited and nervous.

"I will tell your supervisor you did well. Keep up the good work, kid."

"Booth! There seems to be some sort of paint on the body. I am going to take a sample," Brennan called from behind the bush.

"Don't worry about it, Bones," Booth called back, chuckling to himself. _Just like her to wonder off and miss the simplest explanation._

"Why not?" She asked coming up behind him.

"Because, the two boys that found the body, were playing paint-ball, and if you had stuck around to hear the run-down, you would know that," he finished with a smug smile.

Brennan looked confused, "what is 'paint-ball'?"

"I will explain it on the way back to DC, first we have to go talk to the kids."

Booth and Brennan walked over to the cop who was finishing getting the boys' statements. Booth flashed his badge and began introducing himself, effectively dismissing the officer. "Hi, I am Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan with the Jeffersonian. We would like to ask you boys a few questions." They both nodded their assent but were quiet. "First, what are your names and how old are you?"

The smaller boy spoke up, "I am Mark Smith and I am 16, and this is Jimmy Martin he is 15."

"Okay, tell me what happened. From the beginning."

The boys glanced at each other, something unspoke going between them before Mark spoke up. "We were playing paint-ball back through the woods.."

"We know we are not supposed to play in the park, but the woods of the park back up against the woods in my backyard and you know, we get into the game and run everywhere, I mean..." Jimmy interrupted.

"Relax, kid, that is not what the FBI cares about, we just want to solve this murder. Now, please continue, Mark."

"We were playing through the woods, and Jimmy here went to hid behind that bush, when I just heard him scream. I ran over there, and found that – that-..." _Great,_ Booth thought, _now they are both freaking out. I just wanna get out of here and figure out what the hell is going on with Bones. _He glanced over at her, she appeared to be paying attention, but her eyes had a slight far away look.

"Okay, thanks Jimmy, Mark" he said as he handed each of them his card. "If you remember anything else give me a call. You got any questions, Bones?"

She startled a bit, but recovered quickly "Ah, no. We finished cataloging the scene, so we just need to make arrangement to have the body sent to the lab, and we can head back to DC."

"Sounds, great," Booth smiled at her. He put his hand on the small of her back and walked back to the SUV. He watched as she took off the squint gear and loaded it, with all the evidence, into the trunk. "Ready?" She nodded. "Okay, lets get back. Are you hungry? I know a great diner about 20 minutes from here with great pie."

"Sure, Booth, but I am NOT eating pie," she responded lightheartedly as she climbed into the SUV.

_God, I love that smile_. Booth thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** **Thanks to all those who have read and extra thanks to those who have reviewed. I am starting to really get into writing this fic (even if I am still not 100 percent sure when exactly the case is going). That is not very important, however, as this is more of a friendship/romance story with the case just there to help drive the plot.**

The twenty minute car ride was completely silent, Booth never even turned the radio back on. The silence, however, was not uncomfortable – they were both too lost in thought to notice.

**Brennan POV -**

She didn't know what to think as she was staring out the window watching the trees and other cars whiz by. She sure as hell wasn't going to break the silence though. She knew he cared about her, but she was just no up to his 'interrogations' (as she had come to call them) of her current emotional state. The dream she had in the car had been pretty intense, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had been talking out loud in her sleep. God, she hoped not. She sighed deeply, and felt his eyes dart over to her – she help her breath, _please don't let him say anything_, she pleaded with the universe, not caring that it was completely irrational. _These dreams are what are irrational._

However irrational the "prayer" was, he did not say anything. She was trying to come up with a plausible lie to tell him, when he finally deemed the time correct to begin his barrage of questioning. _Not that it would help, _she thought, frustrated. _He is like a god-damn human lie detector, especially when it comes to me._ When she thought about it, that skill was actually quite useful and proved to be a great asset in questioning suspects. _I just wish it wouldn't work on me. _But maybe, slightly, she wasn't actually too sad that it did work on her. She smiled slightly at how much he had helped her get over, by not letting her hide behind her many, carefully constructed lies that formed the protective wall around her heart. She sighed again, this time more contentedly, and continued to stare out the window. She did not plan to tell him about the recurring dreams or how much they were bothering her, but she was happy that she had someone who cared enough to call her out on her lies, to tear down the walls around her heart. To help her feel again.

**Booth POV -**

He knew something was wrong, and he knew that it had to do with that scum-bag McVickor. He had see how she had fallen apart in that barn, seeming to lose her own identity in the web of lies that created her childhood. The web that was now trapping her adult-self into its sticky grasp as well. He had heard her call out her mom's name in her sleep, along with begging for someone to stop. He had a pretty good idea who she was begging. His hands tightened on the steering wheel. _God, dammit. I want to shoot that bastard...hell and her mother and father...for doing all this to her. _It pained him to see how much pain she was in, ever since he met her. Even more so since she found her mother's remains, and this whole nightmare started. He heard her sigh,and quickly turned in to check on her. She was starting out the window, _damn, I can't see her face_. He vowed to himself, when he told her that he would never leave her, that he would do everything in his power to protect her. Both emotionally and physically. Glancing at her again, he knew that he wouldn't – no, couldn't ever let her down.

***

"Well here we are, best pie shop in all the are!" Booth announced clearly excited and with a tone that suggested everyone must be as well. " Ready for some pie, Bones?"

"You know I don't like pie, Booth. As I have said before, I do not like my fruit cooked, and it is so unhealthy. You really should cut back on your pie intake as well."

"Yeah, yeah, so you've told me. Don't worry, I made sure they have salads and french-fries as well," He called over his shoulder as he took off up the stairs toward the door.

The diner was very pleasant. It had a 1980's feel,with the old large booth seats, complete with checkerboard pattern. The waitress assigned to their table was incredibly friendly. Brennan couldn't help but notice her familiarity with Booth. He had obviously been here a lot. _Is there no distance he will go for a good slice of pie?_ Booth, as usual, quickly ordered drinks, a milkshake for himself and a coffee exactly the way she liked it for Brennan.

"Thanks, Booth," she said after the waitress walked away. She really needed that coffee. _He always seems to know what I need._

"Anytime, Bones," he said with a smile that made her think he was talk about a lot more that coffee. They waited for their drinks to arrive in silence, both looking over the menu. "What'll it be, Bones?" he asked, closing his own menu.

"House salad, with lite italian dressing," she responded, her mouth watering a bit. Damn, she was hungry. _Probably from being up since 3 this morning and nothing to eat_. She was thankful Booth didn't know that. She was too tired for one of his speeches about the importance of breakfast.

When the waitress returned, Booth ordered for them both, and sat back in his chair drinking his milk shake, watching her. After the waitress was out of ear shot, he leaned forward looking Brennan straight in the eye. _God that is unnerving_, she though.

"Bones..." he started carefully, knowing he couldn't rush or push her, "you know I am here for you, right? That I will always listen to you, about anything. Even if it is some squint talk I don't understand. If you want to talk about it, no matter what it is, I will be here. Anytime, Bones, anytime." He continued to stare into her eyes as he finished, trying to be sure that she understood.

She could feel herself blushing, but could only just nod. "Okay, Booth," she managed, dropping her eyes from his intense gaze. He appraised her for a few more seconds until he waitress walked up.

"Okay, " he said, his tone much lighter, "let's eat!"

As much as it embarrassed her, she felt better after Booth's little speech. She was Dr. Temperance Brennan, she didn't rely on people, didn't need them to make her feel better. She could take care of herself just fine. But, damn, if she didn't feel better knowing there was someone on side.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed. As I mentioned before, any constructive criticism is welcome, I am new to this, and am trying very hard to keep them, especially Brennan, in character while showing her vulnerable side. Please R&R. Oh, and I apologize for any typos, I try to edit but get excited to post the new chapter and miss things…**

After they finished eating, they got back on the road, Booth driving a _little_ over the speed limit, weaving in and out of cars. "Booth, slow down, we are going too fast," Brennan pointed out, pointing to the speedometer. "Why are you in such a hurry to get back to DC, anyway?"

Booth looked slightly embarrassed. "There's a Penguins game on tonight –."

"Booth!" she cried, "You are risking our lives for a football game?!"

"First of all, Bones, it's a _hockey _game," He responded irritated, as if hockey made all the difference. "Besides, I am in complete control of the car, and _that_ is why men are meant to drive. Women can't handle this much speed," he added smugly, smirking.

"That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Anthropologically speaking –"

"Then how come there are no women in NASCAR?"

"What is NASCAR," Brennan's voice lowered before she finished the question as realization dawned on her. He was baiting her knowing their banter always exited her and cheered her. She turned to him with a smile on her face, "thanks Booth."

He flashed her charm smile in return and turned back to the road. After a few minutes of comfortable silence Brennan asked, "There is no penguin's game on tonight is there?" Booth smirked suppressing a chuckle, but did not responded. "You are incorrigible," she said, her voice much lighter than it had been all day. Satisfied that he had succeeded, he turned his attention back to the case.

"So any theories as to the cause of death?"

"You know I hate conjecture. But, there are some signs of trauma to the skull and ribs. I will not be able to determine the which, if either, were fatal until we get back to the lab and I have a chance to study the remains. Assuming the paint did not obscure anything," she lamented. "What is paint-orb anyway?"

"Paint-_ball,_ Bones, and it's a kind of game where players take CO2 guns filled with balls filled with paint, and shoot at each other."

"Oh," she responded, not understanding the point, but letting it go. The rest of the trip back was filled with idle conversation, some light-hearted bickering, and listening to the radio. "Girls just Wanna Have Fun" began playing and a smile lit up Brennan's face as she began to sing along. "oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones, and girls just wanna have fun, oh girls just wanna have fun." Booth stared at her for the next few lines, admiring her beautiful voice. As she began the second verse, she noticed his stare and immediately stopped singing, blushing a deep shade of crimson.

"Wow, Bones, you have a beautiful voice," he said sincerely, trying to meet her eyes. She just blushed even more. He chuckled loudly, "Since when are you so shy, Bones?" his eyes twinkling with amusement.

She muttered something Booth could not understand followed by her slapping his arm. "Hey! That hurt," he said pretending to pout and rubbing his arm.

As the song ended, they were just pulling up to the door at the Jeffersonian. "Well here we are, Bones, I will meet you at your apartment at 6:30. Thai tonight?" She nodded. "Okay then, I have to head back to the Hoover building and fill out the paper work for bringing the victim's body across state lines. Remember, 6:30."

"Okay, Booth, 6:30, I got it, I heard you the first time."

"Yeah, well, sometimes you lose track of time, or just don't care to stop working," he pointed out, slightly accusingly. Brennan just rolled her eyes and began to walk into the building. "6:30 sharp," he called after her as she disappeared through the security checkpoint with much more energy than when she exited that morning.

***

Brennan entered the lab to find it mostly empty despite the fact it was only five in the afternoon. Usually the team worked much later than that. "Sweetie," Brennan turned to see Angela walking toward her. "Where is that studly FBI partner of yours?" she asked winking.

"He had to do some paperwork on our new body," she answered. "Which, actually, should be arriving within the next 45 minutes or so. I am going to sign off on it arrival and then meet Booth for takeout."

"Of course you are," Angela replied suggestively. "Well, have a great time with Agent hot-stuff. I have a steamy date tonight with Jack. We are going salsa dancing and then back to his place, hopefully for the steamy part." Angela winked and then sauntered off to go join Hodgins who was waiting by the base of the platform.

After waving goodbye, Brennan went to her office to work on her book while she waited for the body to arrive. In the quiet of her office, Brennan realized her spirits were higher than they had been since she found her mother's body and received the voicemail from her father. A smile crept to her face as she thought about how much Booth really did make her feel better. After about 45 minutes, she heard a knock on her office door. "Hey, Doctor Brennan," a man she recognized as the evening security guard said. "the body is here." She signed for the delivery quickly and headed to her car to make it back to her apartment. She wanted to have on the table and ready to eat by the time Booth got there. It was the least she could do for him after all he did for her that day.

As soon as she got to her car she had her phone out and was ordering all of Booth's favorites from the best Thai restaurant in the area. They said the delivery would take about a half hour. _Damn, that only leaves a 15 minute margin of error to get everything prepared_. She was positive she could do it though, as long as the delivery would come on time. She arrived back her apartment at 6:05 and ten minutes later there was a knock on her front door. _Thank goodness_, she thought, _I have plenty of time_. She got plates and utensils out, and transferred the food from the paper containers into her serving bowls. She looked at her watch: 6:29. And at precisely 6:30, she her Booth's distinctive knock on her door.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I am so sorry for waiting so long to update. Things have been crazy with my internship. I promise to update much sooner for the next chapter. Please R&R. I wrote this pretty quickly and I apologize for any mistakes/typos. Constructive Criticism is very welcome. R&R**

Booth walked into her apartment, "wow, Bones, what's all this?" he nodded towards the table.

"Oh, well, I figured it would be nice to have dinner at the table. We have take-out so much together, and we always just sit on the couch with the boxes and…" she trailed off, blushing a little. _This was such a mistake_.

"It's wonderful, Bones," he said with a smile as he sat down and started adding a generous amount of the food to his plate. They ate dinner in silence, both starving from such a long day. After dinner Booth helped her clear the table, and started for the door. "I am sorry to eat and run Bones, but Rebecca said I could have few hours with Parker tonight."

"Not a problem, Booth," she responded smiling a little sadly. _It really isn't fair he gets so little time with his wonderful son. He is a great father_. Switching back to her work frame of mind, "The body should have arrived at the lab a few minutes after I left. I will begin studying the remains in the morning and should have my preliminary findings by early afternoon."

Booth nodded in response. "Good night Bones, let me know as soon as you have some results."

"Goodnight Booth," she sighed as she closed the door. She felt much better, even the short, dreamless, nap in the car, had left her feeling much more rested. She glanced at the clock, 7:30, enough time to work on her book and turn in early, she really needed the sleep.

***

Booth listened for the sound of her lock sliding into place before he walked toward the elevator. He had been worried about her, she had looked so tired all day, and then the nightmares in his truck. During dinner she had seemed like her old self, and he had relaxed a bit. _I guess I worry too much, I mean, everyone gets nightmares. God knows I do sometimes._ Shaking the worried thoughts from his head, he picked up his pace, excited for his few hours with Parker.

***

Bones sat down at her computer and began writing. Her sleep deprivation from the last few days, however, had resulted in writers block and she was making little progress. The clock on her laptop read 9:00 and she decided to turn in for the night. She saved her work, emailed her publicist with her current status, and shut down her computer. Going to brush her teeth she caught her reflection in the mirror. _Wow, I look pale, no wonder Booth was worried. I really need to get sleep._ She chuckled to herself; before her partnership with Booth, she had never worried about sleep and now she had to hide the fact she hasn't been sleeping.

Before leaving the bathroom, she looked into the mirror and made eye contact with her own reflection. The mirror didn't morph, the reflection didn't change, and no one reached out to grab her. _Of course not,_ she thought, _that is _NOT_ possible._ With one more quick glance into the mirror, she turned off the light and returned to her bed room. Climbing into bed, she focused on how nice dinner had been. Sitting at the table with Booth had been comfortable, relaxing. _When did I let him get so close?_ Smiling, she drifted into sleep.

***

Booth walked back into his apartment after dropping Parker back at Rebecca's. _I hate this_, he thought angrily about how little time he got with his son. He looked at his cell phone; 9:00. _I wonder what Bone's is up to…_He flipped his phone open and began dialing her number but stopped himself. _Naw, she looked so tired, hopefully she is already in bed_. He turned on his TV to catch up the hockey game he had missed (yes, there had actually been a game) because of Bones. He was okay with that, he had been there for her, he hadn't let her down. Before he realized it he fell into a comfortable sleep dreaming about Parker, Bones, hockey, and football.

***

Bones woke up at 5:00, but not from a nightmare. _That is the best night's sleep I have gotten in—I can't even remember_, she thought happily, knowing that that was end of her nightmares. The light of the early morning sun was just beginning to seep through her blinds. Her alarm would not go off for another half hour, but she felt so rested she decided to get up and hop in the shower. After a 20 minute shower, almost twice as long as she normally takes, she got dressed and left for the Jeffersonian, excited to get to work on the case.

Walking into the lab at precisely 6:00 she was not surprised that she was alone. She walked over to the platform. She smiled only have surprised to see that Zack had already laid out the Bones on the examination table. _He really is a great assistant_, she thought proudly. There was more flesh on the victim than she had realized at the scene._ I can't believe I was so distracted, that is completely unacceptable,_ she kicked herself. She could not let her emotions get in the way of her professionalism. She had always prided herself on how well she was able to separate herself from her emotions, but ever since she found her mother's remains in limbo, it had become much harder. She took a deep, cleansing breath (a technique Angela had told her from the yoga class she had been taking). Bones had her doubts, "How can a deep breath clear your mind? And aside from that it is impossible to stop thinking entirely because – " she had started to protest. Angela had cut her off telling her that next time she was stressed to just try it and then decide. Bones had to admit, that it did seem to help.

Taking one more cleansing breath she turned to the body. About half the body still had flesh, so she carefully began to exam the bones that were exposed; she did not want to harm any evidence that might be in the skin. At first glance the signs of trauma that she had noticed at the scene were evident, but it was hard to get anything definitive before the bones were cleaned. She paused and stared at the girls face, vowing to find who she was and the story of her life. "I will found out who you are." She vowed to herself as much as to the unknown girl. After another moment Bones stepped away from the table, removed her gloves and went to her office to work on her book. She would have to wait until Cam was done with the flesh before she could do anymore.

She was thoroughly engrossed in her writing when a sharp knock on the door snapped her back. "Geeze, Angela."

"What were you working on that had you so focused?" She asked, usually her best friend was much more aware of her surroundings.

"My book," she answered simply while closing her monitor.

"Ohhh writing another sex scene with Booth, give me details!"

"First of all, Ange, Andy is _not _Booth. And secondly, you just have to wait until it comes out to read it."

"Sure, of course he isn't Booth, sweetie," she said rolling her eyes, "and can I at least have a peek at the steamy parts? Might give me some ideas on how to win over Agent Studly, being him, after all," she through Brennan a grin and walked out of her office not even listening to Bren's protests.

She watched Angela leave and then glanced at the clock, "Shit, 11:30," _Booth is going to be here in half and hour and he is going know I missed a major detail at the scene. He won't want to take me out in the field ever again. Shit. _She ran out of her office to find Cam and see how long it would be before she could get the bones. Her hopes fell when she saw the body still on the platform. Brennan glanced around and found Hodgins's station. "Hodgins, where is Cam, why isn't she working on the autopsy?" She said angrily.

"Woah, Dr. B, she is running late, said she would be in around 1:00. Everything okay?"

"Yes, of course," She responded, forcing her voice into a professional tone walking up the platform quickly. She snapped on a fresh pair of gloves and began taking another look over the body, she had about 15 minutes to come up with some results for her partner. _There must be something I missed before._

As if on cue, the moment she began to re-exam the little bones she had, Booth walked in and jogged up the steps to the platform. "What have you got for me, Bones?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Another chapter as promised.. I really hope this is up to the caliber of chapter 4 and the previous chapters. I just needed that filler to help progress the case a bit to do the character building. I don't know much about writing a case, so if anyone has experience with that and can help me with that, please PM me. It will not play an important role anyway, just something to create a flow of time and events.**

"What have you got for me, Bones?"

Looking down at the floor, she mumbled something incomprehensible to the Agent. Rolling his eyes, "Come on, Bones, I don't have super hearing, speak up?" his voice forming the statement into a question with a grin somewhere between a charm smile and a smirk.

She looked up, meeting his eyes briefly, and said with forced confidence, "At the scene I missed that there was a significant amount of flesh on the victims bones, so my results will take longer than I estimated." She ran off the platform, leaving a very confused Booth at the fact that _the_ Temperance Brennan, world renowned forensic anthropologist (and best damn partner he had ever had) had missed something and then her sudden departure.

After a few seconds he turned and followed her to her office. When he got there the door was already closed. He reached for the door knob, but paused, trying to figure out what happened.

**Brennan's POV**

She knew he would never let her out in the field again. She knew her life was slowly falling apart. When her parents had disappeared everything had fallen apart then too. But this was different. Or maybe the same, she wasn't sure anymore. Her nightmares were slowly tearing her apart. She had missed a major detail at a scene, her work was compromised. She could not believe she had done that. She had lost her family 15 years ago. She had dealt with it, told herself she was over it. The finding of her mother's body shattered that. And now, with her stupid mistake, she knew she was beginning to lose her new family. She finally belonged somewhere, and was ruining it. She smiled humorlessly at the irony. She finally found part of her old family – destroyed, but there - and was losing the only one she had left because of that discovery.

**Booth's POV**

He didn't understand what had just happened. He couldn't understand why she would just take off like that. He had never known her to make many mistakes, but everyone does. He realized that was it was probably about. She can't accept the fact she made a mistake. He could understand why she took off so fast. He could never think less of her though, she was the best damn partner he ever had, most likely will ever have. He had never seen anyone who noticed such small details that were so easily over missed. He was a damn good agent. One of the best, but he his observational skills were no where near his. Sure, his cocky belt buckle, and huge ego might disagree, but he knew she was better. And he knew, and vowed to himself, to her, for what seemed like the hundredth time, that he wouldn't and couldn't ever abandon her.

***

Taking a deep breath, Booth reached for the door knob, not sure exactly what he was going to say. He had been partnered with her for about a year and one of the few things he had learned was that sometimes it is very hard to figure out how she will react. Knocking twice on the door frame, "Hey, Bones, can I come in?" When he didn't hear any protest, he opened the door the rest of the way, entered quickly, and shut it behind him. He was not totally sure where this was going, but figured privacy was a good idea.

As soon as the door clicked shut, she looked him in the eye sadly, but managed a strong, detached voice, "I would understand if you don't want me in the field anymore, after such an elementary mistake."

He didn't respond for a moment, it was exactly what he had expected to here, but he had not expected the utter defeat he saw in her eyes. When he didn't respond immediately she opened her mouth to continue he rationalization. "Bones, for god's sake, stop!" he said sternly, cutting her off. Softening his voice, "Look at me," he said simply. When she finally raised her head and looked him in the eyes, he continued, "Everyone makes mistakes, Temperance," She flinched at the use of her first name and dropped eye contact, it was too much. He paused and waited for her to look up again, "you don't make a lot of them, but it is completely understandable. My career is based on my ability to read people, remember? I could tell you were exhausted. It happens." He paused again, looking deeply into her eyes, he needed her to know how much he meant what he was saying, " I know at first I didn't want you out in the field with me, and I really am sorry for that, Bones. I hadn't had a partner for so long, I had gotten used to working by myself. Now, though, I realize how nice it it to have a good partner backing me up at a scene. I have never trusted a partner more, not even my army buddies, and I would never, ever, want you not in the field watching my back." He held contact trying to make sure she understood.

At the end of his speech she dropped her gaze again, blushing. With a charm smile he said, "Now, what do you say we get a bite to eat, and don't you dare tell me you already ate. A breakfast muffin does _not_ count." With that, he put his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the Jeffersonian to the diner across the street.

***

Lunch was filled with lots of banter and laughing and before long Brennan noticed that she felt a lot better. _He really is the best partner._ As she stole his last fry she glanced at her watch. "Booth! Why didn't you tell me it is 1:30. We have been at lunch nearly an hour and a half! The FBI must have some regulation saying you can only take an hour, and Cam was going to in at one for the autopsy, I need to be there for her results." She grabbed her purse quickly and rifled through it to try and find her wallet.

"Relax, Bones, it takes Cam more than a half hour to do an autopsy. And besides, I'm with my partner debating the importance of paint-ball, "referring to the topic of their last "argument". "I'd say that classifies as working since, you know, the body is covered with the stuff and all" he said smugly, but when she looked annoyed at his logic, he flashed her a charm smile and quickly added, "but…let's head back to the lab now, and see where everyone's at."

***

The two walked back into the lab together, Booth's hand on it's place on the small of her back. As soon as they were in view of the platform they heard Angel's voice call loudly across the lab, "Wow, sweetie, that was a long lunch." When she noticed Booth's position she added, "Have fun with Agent Studly, Bren?" She looked Booth up and down and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"We had a very engaging lunch", she responded very matter-of-factly, completely missing Angela's implications. Meanwhile, Booth looked at the floor, clearly uncomfortable. "I am going to go talk to Cam to see how much longer it will be until I can get my bones," she switched topics quickly, it through Booth off the first few months he worked with her, but now he was used to it. He watched her walk towards Cam's office, and headed over to Hodgins' station to see what progress his new friend was making.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Thanks for all the reviews**

"You know, dude, it is _really_ hard to focus with you staring over my shoulder," Hodgins said glancing up from his microscope. Booth gave him a half-nod and walked away, attempting to find something else to do while he waited for Bones to start looking at the remains. _Might as well get a head start_ he figured as he turned towards Dr. Saroyan's office.

Bones had been in Cam's office all of five minutes and she was already starting to get on Cam's nerves. Finally when the less than patient piercing stare from the anthropologist became too much for her to focus, she looked up from the remains, "Please, Dr. Brennan, I find it very hard to focus when someone's looking over my shoulder".

"I apologize," Brennan responded as she walked across the room so that she was facing Cam instead of over her shoulder.

"Um, that is not exactly what I meant."

"What do you mean? you said you could not focus with me staring over your shoulder. I am not longer staring over your shoulder," Cam stared at her in disbelief; she had to be kidding.

She gave Dr. Brennan an annoyed smile, but forced her voice to be as patient as possible. "What I meant, Dr. Brennan, was that I find it hard to concentrate when someone is watching my every move. So if you could leave, I'll be able to get this done quicker," Cam added the last part, knowing that it would definitely persuade the anthropologist to leave.

Booth had stopped right outside the door when he heard the two women talking. He had a huge grin on his face. _That's my Bones_, he thought, Cam was going to have to realize just how literal Brennan could be. He saw Bones start moving to the door, and quickly stepped back so the women would not know he had been eavesdropping.

"Hey, Bones" he called as she walked out. "What do you say we go get a head start on the paper work, so we don't have to deal with that when Cam releases the body?" She nodded, and walked to her office, Booth following on her tail. As they sat down on the couch Booth's phone went off. "Booth. Yes, okay. Of course, I will be right there" he snapped his phone shut.

"That was Rebecca, her car broke down and she needs me to pick up Parker from his school. I'm going to drop him off at Rebecca's and come back to see what progress you squints have made."

"Okay, Booth. Say hi to Parker for me," she smiled at the thought of her partner's little boy and the way Booth smiles when he mentions his son.

Before she could even open the folder to begin the paper work, Angela barged into the room. "Spill, Bren. " At the confused look on her friend's face she added, "Tell me all about lunch!"

"Angela, there is nothing to tell. We went to the diner, ordered food, ate the food, and came back to the lab".

"Sure, sweetie, you ran into your office upset, and then you go to lunch and come back glowing; the food at the diner is not good enough for that smile you had when you walked back in. So I am going to ask you again. Spill".

Sighing, "I made a mistake at the crime scene. I didn't realize how much flesh was on the bones."

"Okay, Bren. I know it doesn't happen often, but you do make mistakes, why did this time upset you so much?" Angela asked, but worried about her friend and confused.

Sighing again in defeat, "And, I told Booth that I would have my preliminary results by noon today".

Now Ange understood, but she knew that to make Bren feel better, so had to get the whole story, so she pressed her best friend a bit more. "Okay, so they are a little late, I don't understand the big deal, sweetie".

"Ange, do you know how long I fought to try to get him to let me out in the field on every case?! I thought he would never let me out in the field again" she told her friend. Then she added quietly what Angela had expected to here, "I thought that I had let him down."

"Oh Bren, maybe he fought you on going out in the field at the beginning, but there is no way he doesn't want you there now. He doesn't care about one mistake; you are there, being not only the squint but also his partner" Angela replied.

"That's what he said," Bone's said with a small smile on her lips and a slight blush creeping up her neck.

"Good, because if he even thinks about trying to kick you out of the field, he would have to deal with me" with that, Angela popped up from the couch and walked out of Brennan's office.

***

"Bones!" Booth called up to the platform where Brennan worked, finally having the bones. She glanced up briefly and looked back at the bone she was studying.

"How is Parker?" She asked when he joined her on the platform.

"Really good. You know, he wouldn't stop talking about you when I mentioned you said 'hi'."

"Really?" She asked, finally looking up.

"Yeah, Bones, he really likes you," he said with a bit of pride. Brennan smiled at this and began examining the bones.

"I really like him too," she said as he began to walk away. He was glad his back was to her, she didn't need to see the smile this brought to his face.

Booth went to Brennan's office to get started on his half of the paper work, and he knew she worked better when he wasn't pestering her with questions.

When he finished his paperwork, he looked at his watch. _Wow, 6 already,_ as if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. He had every intention of pulling Bones off the platform and to the diner for dinner, but when he walked out of her office, she was completely engrossed in the bones. _I think I will just let her work, no doubt she still feels bad about being delayed_. "Bones, I am heading home for the night, don't forget to eat!"

She looked down at him from the platform and rolled her eyes, "I can take care of myself, Booth."

"Sure, just eat okay? Humor me." With that, he walked out of the lab.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Sorry about the long delay between my 2 week vacation to Hawaii and my internship I am very busy. So here is another chapter. Please review with suggestions they help me make my writing better, especially with staying in character. Comments are nice too. :)**

She had every intention of listening to Booth and eating dinner. She really did; but she got too engrossed in her work that the first time she looked at the time it was 10:00 pm. _This is definitely not helping my case about being able to take care of myself in Booth's eyes. _She knew that she could do so just fine, but Booth did have a point about sleep and food, especially with how little sleep she had gotten recently. Sighing she went to her office, hung up her lab coat and walked out through the now silent lab. Waving the security guard goodnight, she went to her car and drove home.

When she got back to her apartment she grabbed a granola bar to eat (might as well at least try to do what Booth told her). She was surprised to find that she was in a fairly good mood; finally getting to work on the bones and help to catch the killer really made her feel useful and needed. _Which is close enough to wanted_ she thought. Shaking her head of the negative thoughts she climbed into bed and went to sleep. She never noticed the answering machine blinking a new message.

***

Booth stopped at the diner for a quick dinner before heading home for the night. At 7:00 there was a penguins game on and he was not about to miss it when they were having such a fantastic season. He was tired by the time the game ended even though it was only 9:30. Seeing the time he wondered if his partner had done as he asked and eaten dinner, she could be so stubborn. Picking up the phone he dialed her home number but got the answering machine. "Hey, Bones it's me. Bones if you are there pick up, Bones! You better not still be at the lab this late. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you ate..." he hung up the phone feeling stupid. It really wasn't his business if she ate or not, she is a grown woman, and despite his protests she really could take care of herself, there was just a child like innocence about her that made him want to care for and protect her. Sighing he went to bed.

***

_She was running fast, trying to get away. She did not know what was chasing her but she knew it was bad, and she knew it was going to catch her. The woods were dark, and she could hardly see where she was going, and suddenly she was in a cemetery, dashing between the headstones hoping to lose her chaser. She ran by one headstone and froze in her tracks the names read "Christine and Max Keenan". Realizing her threat was gaining on her and it was just a matter of time until he caught her she continued to run. The next headstone read "Kyle Keenan" and she looked at it between confused and terrified, that had been her brother's name. The next headstone read "Joy Keenan" she didn't understand and stood staring at it baffled. She didn't hear the man come up behind her until it was too late. He grabbed her spinning her around to face him. McVickor. "Look Joy," he said softly and patronizingly, "your whole family, dead. Joy is already dead, and now it is your turn Temperance." He laughed to himself as he pulled a tire iron out from behind his back." Temperance screamed._

Brennan awoke screaming in a cold sweat. Her mind reeled and it took her a few terrifying moments to remember where she was and that it was all a dream – well a nightmare. She was angry. It had been a few nights since she had one, and she thought they had stopped for good. Though Brennan didn't believe in psychology she was starting to get slightly worried, she had never had such intense nightmares, even during her abuses in foster care. _Don't be stupid,_ she old herself, _ my body is just releasing stress hormones and they affecting the way my brain processes dreams." _ She took a few minutes to try to compartmentalize her thoughts, but was just too tired. Bones knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep anytime soon, so she went to take a shower and wash away the cold sweat. She didn't know how long she stood under the stream but the water had long turned cold by the time she got out. She actually felt a little better, and she half smiled at the thought.

Looking at the clock by her bed it was 4:30, she had been in the shower nearly an hour and a half. She sighed in relief, her alarm normally went off at 5:00, so there was really no reason to try to go back to sleep. Grabbing a quick organic breakfast so she could honestly tell Booth she ate (he could always tell when she was lying) she left for the lab at exactly 5:00.

Brennan was surprised to find that she was not the only one in the lab when she arrived; Hodgins was sitting at his station staring at some graphs on his computer. "You're here early, Hodgins," Bren said in way of greeting.

"I know, I had some particulates analyzing over night, and was anxious to see the results this morning," He responded excitement tingeing his voice. He really did love his job.

Dropping her stuff in her office she walked back out to the platform to get another look at the bones. Through her years of work, she had learned that there was always something more to be learned from someone's remains. She was tired though and having trouble concentrating, remnants of her dream playing in her head. Shaking her head in a futile attempt to rid it of the thoughts she left the platform to work on her book while she waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

Cam arrived around 7:30 and started going over some forensic evidence found in the flesh of the victim. Brennan was anxious for Angela to get there, the composite sketch was the next step in identifying the victim and bringing the murderer to justice. At this point there was really nothing for her to do, so she went to the couch and started catching up on the mail in her in-box, most of which was offers for digs all over the world. _It would be nice to get away. _A few minutes into the mail, her exhaustion took over and she dozed off.

***

Angela walked into her best friends office at 9:30 to talk about her sketch, but when she saw Bren asleep on the couch, she smiled to herself, _she was probably here late last night,_ as she turned and quietly began to back out of the office. Then she noticed something wasn't right, Brennan's face looked as if she was in pain, or in her own version of hell. She was also shaking a bit and mumbling incoherently. Walking back to the couch she gently tried to wake her friend. "Bren, wake up. Bren, come on, you are having a bad dream, wake up!" she said more firmly putting her hand on the anthropologist's shoulder. At the touch Bones woke with a start, and Angela noticed that for a split second Bren had a wild, scared, look in her eyes before they focused on her.

Brennan half smiled at Angela while turning a deep shade of crimson. "Sorry, I must have been having a bad dream."

"Wanna talk about it?" for once Angela actually phrased it as a question.

"Not, really, Ange. It was just a dream, and I am beginning to forget it already," she lied.

"Uh-huh, well you know where I am sweetie if you do wanna talk," Angela walked out of he office to give her some time to compose herself before discussing the sketch. _I will have to keep an eye on her, for all the time I have known her she has never gotten nightmares like that, Maybe I will mention it to Booth, too. _

About 10 minutes later Brennan walked into Angela's office. "Hey, Ange, you have the sketch ready yet?"

"Sure do, Bren,"she handed her the paper copy, "I am running it through the database of missing persons now, so far no hit."

"Good job, thanks," Bones responded looking at the picture. She turned to walk out of the office but turned back to Angela, "And, Ange, please don't tell Booth about that, he can be so over protective, and doesn't seem to understand that dreams are just random firings of neurons and don't actually mean anything."

"Okay, sure, sweetie, not a problem, You know it is just because he cares about you right? You should take advantage of that, see if you can get a piece of that hunk" Ange responded lightly as her friend rolled her eyes and left the office. She was still slightly worried.

About an hour later Booth walked into the lab and the team began to get down to business on the case. Around noon he got a call from Charlie who had found the name of someone who should be brought in for questioning. A woman who had been at the park that morning and maybe have seen something. "Bones, we have a possible witness, let's go talk to her. We can grab a some food from the diner on the way." Brennan nodded and went to her office to grab her coat and the two left the office with Booth's hand in place on the small of her back always supporting her, even when he didn't know she needed it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N sorry I keep taking so long for the updates. Between 4 upper-level physics classes, and writers block I had no ideas. This chapter is much longer than I normally write, and I have already started with the next one, so it shouldn't take as long. Thanks so much to all who have continued reading and all the wonderful reviews. I apologize for any typos, and Bones is not mine.**

A few hours later, Brennan walked back into the Jeffersonian. The woman she and Booth had interviewed had no helpful information. She had been there that morning, and heard the boys playing around in the woods, nothing more. Booth had gone back to his office, frustrated at the lack of leads in the case. Angela had started her sketch of the victim running in the missing persons database, and so far there hadn't been any hits, but Brennan knew it could take hours, if the girl was even in it.

Sighing for what felt like the millionth time in the last few weeks, she decided to go back to her office and work on her book. With her lack of sleep, she was really starting to fall behind, something she had never done in her life, and her editor was hounding her for the next chapters. Sitting down at her desk, Brennan started up her laptop and began working.

About 20 minutes later, Angela entered her office. "Ange, hey, did you find the victim in the database?"

"Not yet, sweetie. I just came over to see how the interview went?" Angela responded, making her statement a question.

"Not so well. She had been in the park that morning, and heard the boys playing their paint game off in the woods, but she neither saw or heard anything else. Booth is getting frustrated."

"So Bren, I happen to have no plans tonight, and was thinking that we should have a girls night out. What do you think? And I am not taking 'no' for an answer." She looked at her friend hopefully, with a look that dared her to refuse.

"I dunno. I have a lot of work to do. My publisher wants the next 100 pages on her desk in three days, and I only have 5 written."

"We both know that you can get that done in like a day and a half when you set your mind to it. I am coming over tonight with some ice cream, and DVDs. I will be there at 7." With that, Angela walked out of the office.

She knew Ange was right about the book, and by the time it was time for her to leave to get her apartment ready for Angela to come over, she had written over 70 pages. Hitting save, she quickly shut down her laptop and left the lab.

***

After the interview Booth had gone back to his office, frustrated. He had Charlie, as well as the local police in Virginia, looking for leads, and he spent the afternoon catching up on paperwork. Five o'clock couldn't come soon enough, he hated paperwork. As he was leaving his office, he flipped open his phone and hit speed-dial 1. After a few seconds he heard, "Brennan."

"Hey, Bones. I am just leaving the office and was wondering if you wanted to go get some dinner with me. I am craving Thai."

"I can't Booth," his face fell a bit, "Ange insisted we have a girls night and is coming over to my apartment with ice cream and DVDs. You know her, she wouldn't take no for an answer." Booth smiled at Bones had such a good friend in Angela. Maybe this is just what she needs to shake herself out of this funk. Even though she hadn't mentioned anymore nightmares, he had seen how tired she looked today.

"Okay, have fun with your girly stuff," he said 'girly stuff' with a mock disgusted tone. "And, Bones, " he started pausing.

"Yes, Booth?"

"Take care of yourself." He said somewhere between an order and a plea.

"Okay, have a goodnight," she responded, and he heard a click. _Why do I find it so hard to believe that "okay"? _He thought sarcastically. _At least she'll be hanging out with Angel tonight._

_***_

True to her word, Angela arrived around 7, bearing an assortment of what Brennan knew she referred to as "chick flicks", two pints of chocolate ice cream, and a pizza.

"Hey, Ange," Brennan greeted as she opened the door.

"Hey, Bren, ready for some fun? I brought all the best movies that just came out, and I know just the one we should start with." She brushed past Temperance into the apartment and began setting everything up. With a deep breath and small smile, she joined her friend in the living room to start their night.

As promised their night was filled with comedy and romance movies, lots of ice cream, and an all around fun time. At the end of the 3rd movie and the bottom of her pint of ice cream, Brennan looked at the clock and gasped that it was almost 2 am. "Wow, Ange, it's pretty late. This was a lot of fun, but I better be getting to bed."

"Oh wow, it is late, mind if I just crash on your guest room? I hate having to drive this late."

"Of course, you don't even have to ask. Goodnight, Ange, " She said walking to her bedroom.

Feeling content, Temperance was asleep within minutes. It didn't last long. Less than an hour after falling asleep, she began to fidget in her sleep.

"_Joy! Joy! Where are you, honey?" Tempe heard her mom yelling. She crinkled her nose, every once in a while her mom called her Joy, but she never worried about it. She got up from her bedroom and went down to the kitchen, where she heard her mother's voice coming from. "Can you help me with dinner?" her mom asked, without turn away from the counter where she was chopping vegetables. _

"_Sure, what do you need me to do?"_

"_Cut up those carrots, for me," she indicated with her knife._

_Searching through the drawer, "I can't find a knife."_

"_Here, Joy, take mine." Her mom turned to face her, and the knife she had been holding transformed into a tire iron. Temperance took a reflexive step backwards. "What's the matter, dear?" her mom asked taking a slow step toward her. Tempe stepped further back. "Take the knife, Joy." Her mom's voice was no longer her mom's, it had deepened seeming to change the more she spoke. Terrified and confused she whispered,_

"_I am Temperance, Mom."_

_The voice was deeper, and she recognized it now though it maintained the sweet quality of her mother's. "No. You are joy, don't be silly." _

"_MicVikor..." she gasped, backing up as fast as she could. _

"_Haha, of course, and I am going to finish what I started." The voice no longer containing any trace of her mother. Faster than humanly possible, he closed the gap between them, raising the tire iron above her head. "Say, goodbye, Joy Keenan, " And he swung the tire iron..._

Brennan awoke to screaming and muttering. "No, no, you got it wrong, I am Temperance Brennan, not Joy. Please please, stop, you have the wrong person. Stop please." She was pleading and crying.

Angela heard the scream, and rushed into her best friend's room. "Bren, sweetie, what's wrong?"

She didn't seem to notice Angela's presence, "I don't know who Joy is, please, just don't hurt me, oh god, stop!" She raised her arms above her head protecting herself from some unseen assailant.

"Dammit, Bren. Wake! Up!" Angela yelled over Brennan's cries. She didn't know whether she should touch her friend or not, but it seemed like there was no other choice. Grabbing Bren's shoulder, she shook her firmly.

Brennan immediately stopped screaming, and blinked her eyes, as if she hadn't actually been awake. Considering how unaware she was, Angela was pretty sure she hadn't been. "Ange, what are you doing in here?"

"Well your screaming bloody murder, kind of woke me up. Another nightmare?" She asked, hoping her friend would open up.

Bren nodded. "Sorry I woke you up. It is no big deal, it really wasn't very bad."

"Uh-huh, don't like to me. Nobody who wake up screaming like that had a nightmare that was 'no big deal'."

"No, honestly, Ange. Ever since I was young I have woken up screaming and muttering from even mild nightmares. It is similar to night-terrors that affect children, and like them, as soon as I am woken up from it, I hardly remember." She lied, for once, incredibly convincingly.

"You know I can tell when you are lying, right?" Ange asked pointedly. Bren just nodded. "And as stupid as that explanation sounds, I believe you. I am exhausted, try not to scream in your sleep anymore. Goodnight."

Temperance sighed in relief. She didn't know if she got away with it whether it was because Angela was so tired, or she had just gotten that good at lying. She would bet money that it was the former. It didn't really matter, though, as long as she kept her secret.

Angela lied back down in bed. It hadn't seemed like her best friend had been lying. She was _always _able to tell. _That may have been the truth, but that is two nightmares in the last day. I am definitely going to mention this to Booth. Maybe he can get her to talk..._she decided as she fell back asleep.

When she was fairly certain Angela had fallen back asleep, she quietly slipped out into the living room to get her laptop. _Might as well finish this part of my book._

When Angela got up, Brennan joined her in the kitchen for some coffee, before they left for the lab. "Sleep well?" Brennan asked.

"Well aside from my best friend scaring the crap out of me at 3am, quite well thank you."

Bren blushed, "Sorry about that, like I said, it happens sometimes, I am sorry it woke you up."

"No problem, sweetie, sleep okay after that?"

"Yes." She lied. "Ready to go?"

***

20 minutes later, the two friends were walking up to platform where, Zack, Hodgins, and Cam were already gathered. "You all are here early," Angela observed.

"I don't know about the squints, but I have a meeting with Cullen this afternoon, and wanted one more update before I go." He paused, taking in her tired features, _she and Angela must have had one hell of a night._ "I already got everybody else's input, have anything new for me, Bones?" He flashed her a charm smile.

She smiled back, shaking her head, "No, I am afraid not, Booth. Hopefully I am can have more for you this afternoon."

With that, the team disbanded in their separate directions. Booth moved to follow Brennan to her office, when Angela grabbed his arm. When he turned to look at her, she nodded towards her office, "Can I talk to you a minute? It's about Bren." He nodded and followed her to her office.

_She looks tired too. Must really have been one hell of a night._

"Booth, " she said getting his full attention, "last night, Bren and I were up late watching movies and having girl talk so I stayed the night, " she hesitated, Brennan really didn't want her telling Booth.

Booth flashed her a charm smile and urged her to continue, biting back all comments about facials and pillow fights, at the turmoil in her eyes. "Ange, you aren't betraying her by telling me," he told her, guessing at her feelings correctly.

Nodding, she continued, "Well, I stayed in her guest room, and about an hour after we went to bed I wake up to her screaming bloody murder." She stopped there, leaving out the details of what her friend had been muttering, it had seemed so personal.

"Shit..." Booth muttered as Angela continued.

"I went in to see if she was okay, and she told me that it was similar to night-terrors children get, and that as soon as she wakes up, she doesn't remember, and that there wasn't really anything weird about it."

Booth looked skeptical at that and she explained, "I have always been able to tell when she is lying, and she did not seem to be last night. Yet that explanation seems awfully..."

"Fake." Booth supplied. Angela nodded. "Listen, Ange. I gotta go, thanks for telling me, I will take care of this as soon as I get back.

***

Four hours later, Booth walked back into the Jeffersonian. A quick look around revealed that Bones was in her office. _Good, somewhere private_. Quietly he knocked on her door frame. "Hey, Bones, " she glanced up at him. Taking that as an invitation he walked in, slowly shutting the door behind him. Making eye contact he took a deep breath, "We need to talk."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N see? I did actually get one up quickly. I actually finished this one a few hours after chapter 9, but wanted to wait a little bit to post it (people are less likely to comment on older chapters, and I am very interested in any advice so that I can improve on later chapters and future stories. Please R&R. Bones is not mine :(. Sorry for any typos, I don't mind beta-ing for someone else, but having to read my own work and finding fault in every sentence is just too much. Enjoy.**

Brennan froze, mentally begging that Angela hadn't told Booth anything about the previous night. "Something new with the case?" She asked, trying hard to hide her nervousness, _don't want to make him think there is something wrong if he doesn't know_.

"Nope, wish I could say so, but there was no hit in the missing persons database. My field agents are going door to door in the area looking for any leads." An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Booth did know how to bring the nightmares up, and Brennan was praying that that wasn't what the talk he wanted to have.

He decided to start neutrally. "So did you and Angela have fun last night? You both look pretty tired, must have had some wicked pillow fights," he flashed her a glowing charm smile.

"Booth, we did not have pillow fights. That is a very immature activity, we're adults. We watched some comedies and had ice cream, if you must know."

"Ah-ha." _So much for hoping she would accidentally mention something I could question about it._

"You're agitated. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about? I am sure you don't really care what me and Angela did last night."

"Well, actually, Ange told me." He looked carefully for her reaction. He saw a flash of fear? Anger? Or something in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a completely closed expression.

_Play dumb, that is your best bet, maybe he will think it was all a misunderstanding. _Even as she thought it, she knew that it would never work, but she had to try. "Did she tell you we had pillow fights? Because if so, she made it up."

"Bones," he said, almost forcing her to make eye contact.

_Fantastic, he didn't buy it. Oh well, might as well take it all the way._ She held his eye contact, forcing her features into a somewhat confused expression. "What?"

He sighed inwardly. _Why is she so difficult!?_. "Angela told me you had a nasty nightmare. And that it's not the first one she has seen."

"She 's wrong. They are not nightmares they are just dreams that my body has an overly strong adrenaline reaction to. I don't even remember them when I wake up," she tried explaining it away as the same thing she told Ange.

As he was about to respond his phone rang. "Dammit." He flipped the phone open with more force than necessary, "Booth," he barked.

"Yes....okay. Alright, I'll be there in a half hour. No, thank you," Booth was beaming when he hung up the phone. But his smile dimmed a bit when he looked back at Bones.

"Listen, Rebbecca is sick again and wants me to take Parker for the rest of the afternoon, until his bed time, so that she can get some rest. I gotta go pick him up now. "

She nodded and he turned to walk out of her office and she quietly sighed in relief. He got a few steps out and turned back to her, "This conversation isn't over."

Brennan looked at the clock, 3:00pm. Cam had told her that they would have the DNA results tomorrow, and with Booth's people having no leads, there was nothing that could be done with the case. She decided that she would at least get one body from limbo identified before going home.

Since this whole nightmare began, she actually found solace in limbo, away from the eyes of her co-workers. She didn't want people to notice how tired she was. _It is interesting,_ she thought bitterly, _I can stay up 2 days working, and not look nearly half as tired I do now, when I am getting some sleep._ Her nightmares were exhausting her. It was enough having both Angela and Booth somewhat aware of her current issue, she did _not_ need her other friends worrying.

Her limbo case was interesting. At first it seemed the person had just died of some natural cause that wasn't found in the bones, but then she noticed a small nick in a rib bone, and quickly wrapped up the case. Looking at her watch she was it was 8:00pm. _Good, leaving now doesn't seem early for me._

She locked up and headed back to her apartment. She was too tired to go to the diner for food, what ever she had in her pantry would have to do.

What Brennan made it up to her apartment, she quickly found that she had very little food. _I order out with Booth so much, I hardly ever go grocery shopping. _She grabbed a box of pasta from her nearly empty pantry, and put water on the stove to boil. Waiting for the water to boil she sat down on her couch to read the newest Jeffersonian magazine. Three pages in she fell asleep. And entered into the worst and most realistic nightmare she had ever had.

_She was in apartment, but it was different. She wasn't sure how it had changed, but it just kind of, off. She shook the feeling off, chalking it up to just being tired. She was waiting for water to boil to make her late supper, and was straightening things up around her apartment. She walked back to her kitchen and poured the pasta into her now rapidly boiling water, and set the timer for 11 minutes at the box instructed. _

_She went back to cleaning up her apartment, continuing into her bedroom. As she was making her bed she noticed a shoe box sitting on her nightstand. She couldn't remember taking the box down from the top shelf of her closet, but again, chalked it up to her exhaustion. It was the box that contained everything important to her from childhood. She smiled sadly at it, brought it over to the bed to begin to look through the contents as she waited for the timer to announce her food being ready. _

_She picked up a picture she had looked at a thousand times. It was a beautiful sunny spring day, she and her mom were sitting on a blanket in their back yard, laughing freely and something she can no longer remember. She noticed something in the background that she had never seen before, it was a tall man, Brennan gasped and dropped the photo to the floor. How had she never seen that before? McVickor watching them, half hidden by the trees that started just beyond the edge of their backyard. The beeping of the microwave shook her out of her thoughts, and she hastily picked up the photo but couldn't bring herself to put her favorite picture back with her favorite things. She dropped the picture on her bed and went to finish her dinner. As she was draining the pasta she heard a series of loud thumps, as if someone was walking heavily behind her. She turned around and came face to face with a pig gun. She froze, the colander dropping from her shaking hands. She glanced from the gun to the man's face. It was, as she expected, McVickor. She glanced back between them again._

"_I know, my M.O. has always been a tire-iron, but I found that that can be a hassle. I mean, having to swing it hard enough, and in just the right place to guarantee the kill. This is much cleaner. A shot between the eyes, " he moved the gun to her forehead. "Or through the heart," he moved the gun over the left side of her chest. "Or, my favorite, the back of the head." _

_He pushed her down roughly, turning her around, and shoved the gun to the back of her head. He laughed, "You know, I have dreamed of this day. I couldn't kill your father, and it seems very unlikely that I will, but this way I can get revenge, by killing the most important person to him." He laughed again maliciously and steadied the gun on her head. "Any last words, Joy Keenan? Something I can tell your father, perhaps, if I ever do get to run across him?"_

_She was quietly pleading him to stop, to let her go, that she didn't mean anything to her father, after all, he had abandoned her at 15. But it didn't seem to matter. She heard a few more sharp bangs, and knew that she was dead. He laughed, banging his hand on the counter, enjoying every moment of her torment. "You know what? You are a beautiful women, there is something I want to do before I kill you." He grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her. "Bones...Bones...!"_

At the sound of her nickname, the dream lost its strong grip on her and she stirred. "Bones. WAKE UP! " Booth commanded. "Bones!" he shook her a bit more forcefully. "Temperance!" At the sound of her first name, her eyes popped open, looking wildly around.

"Booth," she whispered. She wasn't sure if she was dead, still dreaming, or awake. But she decided she didn't care and flung herself into the arms of a very concerned Booth. She clung tightly to him. He felt real, she could smell his cologne, feel his chest rise and fall, and hear his heartbeat. She took a few calming breaths the dream came back to her, and she sprang loose and ran to her bedroom.

In a panic she grabbed a shoe box off the top of her closet and began quickly searching through it. She grabbed the picture she was looking for, and stared at it for a long moment. Booth, stood in the doorway watching her with a mix of worry and curiosity.

"Oh, thank god," she sighed. The picture did not contain McVickor. As if following the dream sequence she remembered she had left water boiling on the stove. She brushed past Booth quickly (he wasn't even sure she saw him) and rushed to the stove. Her water was almost boiled away. It had been so real. The box, the cooking, the intruder. She suddenly realized that the banging she heard must have been Booth knocking.

Booth observed her from behind. She was leaning heavily on the counter gripping it was white knuckles. As if suddenly remembering he was there she said, "I was making pasta, but I must have fallen asleep before the water boiled. Since you are here now, want me to make some extra?"

Her voice had been steady, but he noticed she had not turned around. Trying to lighten the mood he said brightly, "No need, Bones, I brought Thai." When she didn't respond he walked over the counter where she was standing. "Hey, " he said quietly, "talk to me." He put his hand on her shoulder gently, she flinched, remembering the dream, but didn't pull away. _Stop being stupid, Temperance,_ she berated herself, _it was just a dream, none of it was real, and this is just Booth. I wish he would go away. _As she thought that, she instantly knew that it was not true. She needed him, more than ever, but she would never admit that, not even to herself.

Booth tried to turn her towards him, but she held tightly to the counter and resisted the motion. "Bones, look at me, " he asked gently. When she didn't he tried again, "Bones, you know you can trust me. Don't shut me out please," he paused again, and when she still didn't respond, "Temperance, please - " he started. At the sound of her name, she turned into him, without making eye contact and let him pull her in close to him. "Temperance, please look at me," he said gently, using her first name again. He pushed her slightly away from him, without letting go, so he could see her eyes. She met his eyes for a second, before dropping her again, ashamed of her reaction to the dream, and her emotional display. The second was long enough for Booth to see the pain, fear, shame, and the tears that filled them. "Hey, it's okay, come here, " he pulled her close again. "It's okay to be afraid, sometimes, even if it is irrational. Nothing to be ashamed of, " he said, hoping to at least remove the shame from her eyes.

After few moments she seemed to regain her composure, and pulled away. "I 'm starving, " she said with a smile that Booth saw through, but didn't push. "Let's have that Thai."

As they ate they talked about what Booth had done with Parker, and what classes Parker was taking at school. By the end of dinner Brennan seemed to be herself. Almost. She looked exhausted and vulnerable, but if he didn't know her so well, he never would have noticed.

After they had cleaned up dinner, Booth grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined Brennan on the couch. "So..." he started, "want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Why not?" he asked gently, though he figured he knew the answer.

"Because, I don't remember. It is as I explained earlier. They are basically night-terrors, that as soon as I am awoken I instantly forget. There are no lasting memories. I believe I just had the emotional response before from being tired, and the adrenalin from the dream." she lied effortlessly. She was proud of herself, Angela definitely would have believed that.

Not Booth. "Bull shit."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N I am not entirely sure if I like the way this chapter turned out and it is a little shorter. I reworked it a few times, and am sick of it, so I am posting this version. Let me know if you like it/hate it/find it OOC. I am not entirely sure when I next update will be, I would say no more than 2 weeks. I have tons of homework and tests in every class (w00t four upper-level physics classes). I promise not to take a month again, though.**

**Bones is not mine. Please R&R**

Brennan thought back to earlier that day, when she had played dumb to try and avoid this conversation. That certainly wouldn't work now, but she was not going to give in. "No, Booth. Even if I did remember, which I don't, it would be pointless to talk about it, as it has no meaning. It is just a part of the normal sleep process," she said in a matter-of-fact and clinical way.

Booth could feel his anger rising. _How can she stand here and lie to me like this? I saw her freak out, even after she woke up, and run into her bedroom..._he decided to call her on it. "If you don't remember the dream, Bones, then why did you freak out and run into your bedroom to rifle through a box on the top shelf of your closet. That is not exactly what someone as logical as yourself does normally." He had a little more anger in his voice than he meant, but he didn't really care. He couldn't stand to see her suffering, and having her shut him out. No matter how many alpha-male lectures he got, he still felt it was his duty to protect her.

She felt her anger rise, rivaling his, but was at a loss for words. Seeing her lack of response, he knew getting her riled up was the way to go. He knew from past experience that the angrier she gets, the less she sensors herself and he was more likely to get the truth. "Oh, and while I am waiting for your _fast_ mind to catch up to the truth of my statement, and a counter argument, don't even bother. I know you, and I know when you are lying, and just don't bother. You might be a _genius_, but there are something things you don't seem to be able to learn." He scoffed as he said the last part of his sentence. He felt bad about doing this to her, but he knew he had to. Her nightmares were getting worse, he could tell she barely slept anymore, she had to talk about it.

She felt her anger rising more, and didn't even try to keep the venom out of her voice. "If you think you know me so well, Seeley Booth, what am I thinking now?" she didn't even pause for a response, "Whatever you are thinking, you are wrong, because you don't know me at all. How could you?" She was practically screaming, "how could you possibly know me, know who I am, when I am not even sure of my name!?!" She halted as she realized what she had said. _Shit._

He took in what she said, and quickly processed it. It wasn't enough to get her to continue; that statement didn't give him enough leverage to pry through her walls. Before he could speak, she started trying to retract the last, "I mean, I didn't mean that last part, I just meant about me being identified as Temperance Brennan the author or Dr. Temperance Brennan, the scientist. But, I realize now that there is no reason I can't be both. Thanks for talking with me Booth." _God, that was even worse than my night-terror excuse. _She was running out of steam, too tired to argue much longer.

"Enough, Bones, " he was fully yelling. "This is damn frustrating. I _know_ you are having nightmares. And I _know_ they are scaring you, I _know_ you are not sleeping, and I _know_ that you are lying to me, and to Angela, your BEST friend, for god sake. I am your friend, too, but the way you are acting now makes me think that maybe that isn't true, and you don't give a rat's ass." He felt bad about the friend bit but he was also actually starting to get angry.

She responded, without even realizing what she was saying"What do you want me to say, Booth?" she didn't pause for a response, "You're wrong! I am NOT having nightmares. They are dreams – bad dreams, but not nightmares. _This, " _ she motioned her finger around in a circle and Booth knew instantly what it meant, "is the nightmare. Reality, Booth. Dreams mean nothing, reality is what matters, and reality is the real nightmare." She was yelling now too, and even as she began to realize what she was saying, she decided she really didn't care. She was just too damn tired, and, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, scared, lost, and that she needed her friend and partner more than ever. She ended her rant breathing hard, and Booth saw the the piercing blue of her eyes caused by her anger fade to gray before she dropped her gaze to the floor a moment later looking utterly defeated.

All traces of his anger gone, Booth took a step toward her, intent to pull her into a hug, but she flinched away, stepping back. Taking the hint, he stepped back again, and spoke gently. "Are you willing to talk now?"

"No," she saw his body tense and immediately continued. "I mean not yet. I am tired. I am going to bed." She turned and walked into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. _Dammit, Bones, don't be shutting me out already..._

He walked up to the closed door and knocked twice quietly. She didn't respond but he spoke through the door anyway. "It is getting late, do you mind if I crashed on your couch?"

She hesitated. After what happened with Angela she really didn't want anyone else staying the night, but it was late. Sighing, knowing she would regret it she agreed, "Whatever you want."

Ha, he knew she would be listening. "And, Bones, don't shut me out. I know you need your time to process, as I am pretty sure this is the first time you are admitting it to yourself as well. But just know that I am here, okay?" he paused hoping for a response, but knowing he wouldn't get one. "Goodnight, _sweet_ dreams."

Too quietly for him to hear through the bedroom door, she whispered back "Goodnight, Booth."

The partners lied down in their respective places, both of their minds running too fast to fall asleep.

**Brennan's POV**

She didn't know what she was going to do. Booth was right, this was the first time she had admitted it to herself. She was having nightmares. There was no logical explanation she could see, and she supposed Booth would call it heart. Whatever it was, she knew it was not getting better, and that was scaring her. She had had nightmares in the past, during some of the more...unpleasant...times in foster care, but they had been infrequent and not as realistic. She had told Booth, and she wondered idly if he would tell Angela. She would be mad at her for lying, of that she was sure, and she found herself hoping that Booth would not include her. It seemed unlikely though, as she was the one that had told him in the first place. She was scared of the following conversation(s) with Booth. It had been hard enough to tell him she was even having these dreams, how would she manage to tell him what they were about? How real they were. She thought about locking her bedroom door so he couldn't come in if he heard her in another dream, but quickly decided against. She knew that if she locked it, he would just kick the door in, and she didn't want to have to fix the lock. She knew she was lost. She knew that she had lost her identity. What she didn't know, was if there was anyway she could find it again, find herself, and whether she would loose her friends in the process.

She drifted off to sleep, praying that she wouldn't have a nightmare with Booth sleeping in the room just outside her door.

**Booth's POV**

He wasn't tired, and it really wasn't all that late, but he had wanted to stay. He knew that opening up was hard for her, and that she needed time to process. She had said that she didn't even know her name, and he remembered them standing in the barn after McVickor had called her Joy and laid out a life from her young childhood that she did not even remember she had. He had held her then, telling her that he knew who she was. He did. He still does. He knew he had to find a way to pull her back. He knew she felt lost, and scared and he was determined to fix it. He knew he didn't want to stay because it was late. He knew that he could have stayed in the guest room, but chose the couch to be closer. And he knew the real reason he wanted to stay was that if the nightmares gripped her tonight, he would be there, and she wouldn't be alone in the dark, losing herself even more. But what he didn't know, was if she would let him.

He drifted off to sleep, praying that the woman in the next room, wouldn't have a nightmare.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Okay, If anyone is still interested in this story, here is the next installment. I hope you all don't hate me too much for the delay. Things got crazy at school, and even crazier in my personal life, and those matters had to be attended to before I could continue writing. Thank you for all the reviews and favs. **

**Not mine. Please RandR**

Booth awoke suddenly. The room was dark and quiet, but something had stirred him from his sleep. He lay still listening for any sounds coming from his partner's bedroom. Hearing nothing, but not being completely satisfied, he quietly got up and put his ear to the door. Satisfied that all was well with Bones, he padded around the apartment; his sniper training never allowing him to fall back asleep when awoken suddenly without checking the area. Content that there was no one else in the apartment he returned to the couch and as he began to fall back asleep he heard her call out quietly, but terrified.

_She was in the bathroom with Booth brushing her teeth at a hotel they were staying at for a case. She smiled when she looked in the mirror, humored by how domestic they appeared, brushing their teeth together in their pajamas. She met his eyes in the mirror, expecting to see the warm caring of partner. Instead she was met with eyes as cold as death, and full of hate. She gasped and he turned to her, "Something wrong, Bones?" but the voice was wrong. _

"_Don't call me 'Bones,'" she stammered, backing away._

"_Okay, what should I call you then? Temperance?..." He paused and a cruel smile, not at all like Booth's spread across his face, "How about – " his face fully transformed into McVicker's, "Joy!"_

_She barely had time to scream "Booth!" as he the tire iron he was holding in place of the tooth brush was brought down on her head. _

Booth was in her room before the call had completely left her lips. He paused in the door way, and saw her half sitting up in bed, flailing her arms as if protecting herself from some un-seen assailant. From his days in the army, he knew that it could be bad to wake a person in the middle of an intense nightmare. Upon awakening they often do not know where they are and will continue to protect themselves and attack against the unfortunate person who thought they were doing them a favor by awaking them from the dream. But he couldn't stand to see Bones in such pain and decided to risk waking her; he could deal with a sore jaw if she decided to punch him.

Walking over to the bed he called her name a few times, but if she heard him she did not react at all. She was mumbling and he listened carefully to what she was saying, hoping that he could get a better idea of what was going through her head than she was willing to admit when awake. "Where's Booth?...You are _NOT _ Booth!...No…Please. Don't….Help…Booth!" The desperation in her voice as she called his name broke his heart and he grabbed her into a tight bear hug, partially for comfort and partially to protect himself from any violent response.

"I'm right here, Bones. Wake up." She continued to mumble. "Bones!" he said more sternly, "Wake up. Now. I'm right here!...Bones!!"

She awoke and instantly pushed Booth back enough to look into his eyes. He didn't know what she was looking for, but after several seconds she seemed to find it and clung to him as the tears fell. He rocked her gently and whispered comforts in her ear until he felt her relax.

She sat back trying her eyes and feeling foolish. "I am sorry, I just, I.." she stammered, her voice thick with the emotional drain.

"Bones, stop, look at me. You have nothing to apologize for, I am here for you, and it is okay to need someone." She started to respond but he cut her off, "And don't you dare say that you don't need anyone. Everyone needs someone, and you were calling my name in your dream. It is okay to need me. I am your partner, and more than that I am your friend. _Please_, let me help you."

The emotion in his voice when he asked 'please' got to her, and Bren immediately clung tighter to him and he responded by securing his arms more tightly around her. Together, they fell back asleep. Him secure in the fact he had her safely in his arms, and her taking comfort in the fact that even in her sleep, her partner would protect her.

**I am sorry that this chapter is short, and not very well written. I just felt the need to update after so long. I PROMISE that I am going to update again very soon, and it will be back up to the quality of my other chapters. Thanks you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N. Yay, another chapter after not-so-long. This one is better edited and up to my personal standards a bit more. I was just anxious to get the last one out, that I rushed it a bit. **

Booth stirred as morning sun seeped through the open blinds. He rolled over to glance at the clock and saw that it was 10:00am. _Crap, Cullen is going to kill me. _As if on cue his cell phone began to buzz in his pocket: Cullen. Carefully untangling himself from his sleeping partner, he got up to take the call. Shutting the bed room door behind him, he flipped the phone open before it had a chance to go to voice mail.

"Booth."

"_Agent Booth, where the hell are you? Someone came forward about that girl you found in the woods, and has been waiting here nearly an hour! "_

"I'm sorry, sir, some personal stuff happened last night and I ended up sleeping in," Booth explained, deciding that it was better to be honest. Cullen was a good guy, one of the best he had worked under, and the least Booth could do was to show him the respect he deserved by being honest with him. Even if it meant he was throwing himself under the bus.

"_We will discuss this later. Just get down here ASAP and bring Dr. Brennan. "_

"Yes, sir," Booth replied, but Cullen had already hung up. _Shit. _

With a sigh, he headed back into Brennan's room, hating himself for having to wake her from the first solid sleep she had gotten in days. "Bones. Hey, Bones. Time to get up, we have a witness now at Hoover."

"What time is it?" She murmured groggily.

"A little after ten. Hurry, chop chop!" He left the room to go put coffee on while she readied herself for the day.

She dragged herself out of bed, groaning at the stiffness in her neck where she had fallen asleep half sitting up against her partner. She felt ashamed at having him see her like that, so vulnerable, but she had to admit to herself that it had felt good to be in his arms, protected. She finished dressing quickly, _I can't believe I slept until 10 _and went to join Booth in the kitchen as the smell of the dark roast coffee reached her bedroom.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Booth greeted her, handing her a cup of coffee and flashing a charm smile.

She sipped the coffee, sighing contently when it tasted exactly the way she liked it. "So we have a witness?"

"Yup, Cullen says she has been waiting for us at the office for over an hour, we better get a move on before he has my head, if he doesn't already want it." Brennan noticed Booth looked worried but she wasn't sure if the worry was for her or about Cullen. _Probably a little bit of both._

The car ride to the Hoover building was quiet, both partners lost in thought. Booth broke the silence as he pulled his SUV into his usual spot, "What do you say we talk to this witness then go to the diner and get some pie?"

"Okay," she replied. Booth noticed that she was very distracted; _she didn't even make a quip about pie! This ends this afternoon. If she doesn't talk about this, it is just going to get harder for her. I wish there was some easy way to make her see that._

It turned out the witness had been a party to the death of the girl, and after a brief interrogation from Booth, confessed. _Thank god for an easy close,_ Brennan thought. She needed time to relax and put her mind back together.

"Hungry, Bones?" Booth asked, walking out of his office. He didn't wait for an answer and continued to the elevator, knowing that the answer was probably "no", as always. _Funny how she says no, then ends up stealing all of my fries._

The partners enjoyed a rather long lunch, when Booth suggested they take the rest of the day off and watch movies. "Destressing" he had called it. Brennan had no idea what that meant, _but it sure sounds nice._

20 minutes and a stop at blockbuster later, Booth and Brennan were settled onto his couch with a bowl of popcorn. "What did you say the name of this movie was?"

"Space Balls," Booth replied as he hit "play" on the remote.

"What's it about?" She asked as the opening sequence began.

Booth chuckled, "It is something you just have to see, Bones. Shh, it is starting."

She turned back to the screen, but soon found herself lost in thought. She was aware of her partner laughing every few minutes, but wasn't paying attention enough to understand why. _Dammit, Brennan, focus on the movie. Booth wants you to watch this, and he says it will be "Destressing". _ Stress didn't even being to describe how she felt. Even though she hated psychology she understand that emotions were real (due to chemical reactions), and the best way to deal with them was to approach them in a logical manner. She decided the best way was to start with a list that she could then tackle systematically. _Tired, scared, lonely, drained and mostl,…_"lost…" she didn't realize she had began thinking out loud.

Booth's eyes immediately darted to Brennan. She was still looking at the screen but he could tell she wasn't actually watching, _she is so deep in thought, she probably didn't even realize she said that out loud. Tread carefully, Seeley, don't let her close up on you. _He took a deep breath, "Bones?"

She turned to look at him and the look of compassion and worry in his eyes was just too much for her to fight anymore. "I feel totally lost, Booth. Everything I knew about myself, my parents, my childhood. It was all lies – " she broke off as tears began to fall silently down her face. He wanted to badly to reach out and touch her, to hold her as he had done in the barn, but she was finally talking and he didn't want to do anything that might stop her.

"And I can't sleep, all I keep seeing is _his_ face, taunting me, pointing out all the lies, calling me Joy. My name is Temperance. Temperance Brennan. Not Joy Keenan – except even that is a lie." She was fully crying now. "How am I supposed to act when I don't even know who I am? My entire life has been fake, living as someone else, with someone else's birth certificate. And what of the real Temperance Brennan no one will never know who -" Brennan was talking faster and faster, becoming almost hysterical.

Booth had had enough of watching her torture herself, and gently but firmly grabbed her wrist to get her attention. "Stop. " He took a deep breath collecting his thoughts. "Look at me." He waited until her tear filled eyes, met his…

**A/N**

**Sorry to make you wait for Booth's response. I just don't have the energy to write it right now, and wanted to get something posted. Hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't too OOC. Please review. Reviews make me happy and give me encouragement. **


End file.
